According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, a person trapped under the snow following an avalanche might not have more than 20 to 30 minutes to survive. The department also said there are about 100,000 avalanches annually in the U.S., resulting in an average of 28 deaths.

This serves as an important reminder of how much longer a mission can take when the helicopter is grounded, and is another factor to consider in your backcountry planning should an accident

Avalanche kills experienced skier in Wyoming as he is left ‘fully buried’ - Victim named as Kenneth Goff, 36, a nurse and climbing instructor